teachers
Borah Han- Classical & Contemporary Classical Piano
A Korean-American pianist and a former Adjunct Piano Faculty at New York University, Ms. Han has performed in recitals and masterclasses in Italy, Spain, Korea, and the United States at venues notably Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Symphony Space, and National Sawdust. In 2009, she appeared as a soloist with Michigan State University Philharmonic Orchestra. As an active performer of new music, she collaborates with composers in the Tri-State area, highlights including features in New Amsterdam Records, NY Times, and WNYC New Sounds Live. Her past projects include performing in Dynamic New Music Festival, NYU Percussion Studio (music of Steve Reich, George Antheil, John Psathas), World Youth Wind Symphony with Epoch Percussion Quartet, and Red Cedar Trio (clarinet, violin, and piano). She is currently a pianist in Echo Chamber, a contemporary music sextet who commissions and performs works with an eye towards cross-media collaborations. She received a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance with honors from MSU and a Master's degree in Collaborative Piano with honors from NYU where she privately studied with Anne-Marie McDermott, Grant Wenaus, and Jose Ramon Mendez.
www.borahhan.com
Justin Carroll- Classical, Jazz & Improvisational Piano and Music Technology
Irish-born Justin Carroll is a keyboardist and composer living in Brooklyn, NY. He received a Masters degree in Music & Media Technologies with honors from Trinity College Dublin. Mr. Carroll performs with many artists and bands as well as writing music for contemporary dance, theatre, short films and documentaries. He is in much demand as a keyboardist performing with the likes of Van Morrison, Glen Hansard, Iron & Wine, Neko Case and Josh Ritter. Mr. Carroll has toured extensively in the U.S, Mexico, Europe, South Africa, Russia, China, Australia and New Zealand and has performed on many of the late night talk shows in the U.S. such as David Letterman Late Show, Jimmy Fallon Late Night, Conan O'Brien Late Night, Jay Leno Tonight Show, and Seth Meyers Late Night. Mr. Carroll has recorded on approximately eighty commercially released records. He has composed and performed with dance companies Rex Levitates and Catapult performing at Dublin Dance Festival, APAP New York and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He composed an original score for PBS documentary 'Delano Manongs' which was nominated for a Emmy in 2015.
Elisha Henis- Classical, Jazz, & Improvisational Piano
Elisha is a jazz pianist and band leader, currently based in Brooklyn. He is an accomplished and active musician, performing in Jazz festivals around the world and showcasing his own compositions across NYC. Elisha has graduated with honors both from the Lin & Ted Arison Conservatory of Music and the New School University in Manhattan. He has professional experience working as an arranger and accompanist for musical performances and in addition, as a music teacher for “Sulamot Music for Social Change”, as part the Philharmonic Orchestra’s music outreach program, opening the world of music to children from low-socio economic backgrounds. Elisha’s subsequent studies focused on all aspects of Jazz: including Big Band & Swing, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Ragtime, Contemporary Jazz and more. While living abroad, Elisha has written and recorded music for commercials, worked as an accompanist and composer/arranger, collaborating with award winning Israeli singers and instrumentalists. While originally a classically trained pianist, Elisha realized his love for Jazz and Electronic music, which drove him to move to New York City in pursuit of his passions.
Lucy Yao- Classical & Contemporary Classical Piano
Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Lucy Yao is an award-winning concert pianist and educator based in Brooklyn. A graduate top of her class at the Manhattan School of Music with an MM in Classical Piano Performance, she blends the rigor and passion for Classical and Chamber Music with the innovation and creativity for storytelling, contemporary music, and improvisation, to ensure that her students develop an ear and love for music. She has been commissioned and performed at the New York Philharmonic, Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, New York Philharmonic, MIT Museum of Science, and Boston’s Celebrity Series, and Joffrey Ballet. An avid and active for new music and collaborative pianist, she’s accompanied for the New School, Mark Morris Dance Group, and served on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. In her teaching, Lucy is a sought-after pianist and educator with her toy piano duo and creative studio, chromic. They’ve held Artist-Educator in Residencies at Purdue, Penn State, and CUNY. She is also a Citizens University Fellow, and her artistic work is shaped by an interest in how concerts can function as civic “third spaces”—places for gathering, listening, and connection beyond institutional or commercial settings. Across performance, creation, and education, Lucy is committed to music as a shared, social practice. Learn more about her work at http://lucy-yao.com and https://chromic.space.
Javier Jbara- Classical, Jazz, and Improvisational Piano
Javier Jbara is a New York City–based pianist, educator, and music director with over 14 years of experience teaching, performing, and mentoring students of all ages and levels. A summa cum laude graduate in Jazz Studies from the City College of New York through Macaulay Honors College, Javier studied jazz piano under GRAMMY Award–winning mentors Arturo O’Farrill and Ray Chew. Javier has performed and directed music at world-renowned venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Javier currently performs regularly with top New York ensembles across jazz, pop, classical, R&B, and Latin styles. Alongside his performance career, he is an active teaching artist with organizations such as the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Renaissance Youth Center, and Brooklyn Piano Lab. As a private instructor, Javier specializes in personalized, student-centered instruction, teaching piano to beginners and advanced students alike. His lessons integrate technique, music theory, classical repertoire, ear training, improvisation, and musical expression, all tailored to each student’s goals and learning style. Whether a student is playing their very first song or developing artistry and confidence at an advanced level, Javier emphasizes curiosity, consistency, and joy in music-making.